Daily Bible Reading Plans

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Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one’s mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year.

Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for Acts 20:5

A. In our last lesson we saw the men that accompanied Paul in his travel through Greece and Macedonia.

1. Luke again joined with Paul, for again he uses the personal pronoun "us."

2. Back in Acts 16:16, Paul had left Luke in Philippi, no doubt to minister to the church that was begun there.

3. Now as Paul passes back through Philippi, Luke rejoins him for the trip to Jerusalem, probably bringing the monetary gift from the church in Philippi to the church in Jerusalem.

4. Paul had remained in Philippi to observe the feast of unleavened bread there.

B. He then caught a ship sailing for Troas, the winds were probably contrary to them, for the trip that took them two days in Acts 16, took them five days.

C. They remained in Troas for seven days.

1. This means that they were there over a Sabbath day, however, it was on the first day of the week that the church gathered to break bread.

II. Act 20:7: AND UPON THE FIRST [DAY] OF THE WEEK, WHEN THE DISCIPLES CAME TOGETHER TO BREAK BREAD.

A. It would appear that the Gentile church observed the first day of the week as their day to worship.

1. There is not a single reference of the Gentile church worshipping on the Sabbath, or keeping Sabbath law.

2. Gathering on Sunday was mentioned twice. In the present text, and in Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

1CO 16:2 Upon the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no collections when I come.

3. The Sabbath day belonged to the old creation, but the first day of the week belonged to the new Creation in Christ Jesus.

4. The seventh day worshippers often try to place the blame for the worship on Sunday to the Roman Emperor Constantine, but 100 years before Constantine, Tertulian, one of the early church fathers, stated that the church considered the first day of the week as the day of worship because of the resurrection of Jesus took place on the first day of the week.

5. One of the arguments against Sunday worship often offered is that the word Sunday, refers to the worship of the sun god.

a. This is a rather lame and mute argument in that Saturday was named after the god Saturn.

6. Any controversy over what is the proper day to worship should be settled by Paul's writing to the Romans and the Colossians.

a. In Romans, Paul deals with disputes that arose over eating meat and the proper day of worship. The same two issues that the Seventh Day Adventists quibble over today.

ROM 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, [but] not to doubtful disputations.

ROM 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, (in faith) eats vegetables.

ROM 14:3 He that eats meat should not despise him that doesn't eat meat. and in the same token he that does not eat meat should not judge him that eats: for God hath received him.

ROM 14:4 Who are you that judges another man's servant? to his own master he stands or falls. He shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand.

ROM 14:5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

ROM 14:6 He that regards the day, regards [it] to the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he dos not regard [it]. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks.

b. Either way a person is following their own convictions and are doing what he feels the Lord would have him to do.

COL 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath:

COL 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but Christ is the substance.

c. The whole issue comes back to the Judaizers in the early church. Those who came to Antioch and said that you had to keep the law of Moses and be circumcised to the saved.

d. Here in Colossians Paul had just said concerning Jesus:

COL 2:8 Beware that no man captivates you through empty and deceitful philosophy that is based on the traditions of men, the basic principles of the world, and not after Christ.

COL 2:10 And you are complete in Him, who is over all principalities and powers

COL 2:11 In whom also you have been circumcised not with the circumcision done with mans hands, but that spiritual circumcision that was done by Christ whereby you have put off the body ruled by the flesh.

COL 2:12 As you were buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through faith of the operation of God, who has raised Him from the dead.

COL 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive in Him, having forgiven all your trespasses;

COL 2:14 As He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us, and were contrary to us, and took them out of the way, nailing them to his cross;

COL 2:15 He spoiled principalities and powers and made an open show of His triumph over them on the cross. (Because of this, let no man judge you in respect to eating meat, or Sabbath days, etc.)

B. It would appear that the breaking of bread together was a common practice among the early believers. It was one of the most common rituals practiced in the early church.

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

1. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

1CO 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

2. Again he wrote:

1CO 11:23 For I have received from the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which He was betrayed took bread:

1CO 11:24 And when He had given thanks, He broke [it], and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.

1CO 11:25 After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood: do this, for as you drink the cup, you do it in remembrance of Me.

1CO 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you show the Lord's death till He come.

a. He did not say how often they were to do it.

b. It was a ritual that was to be observed until He came again.

c. Thus we do it at least once a month, and usually on the first Wednesday night of the month.

III. PAUL PREACHED TO THEM AFTER THEY HAD BROKEN THE BREAD, AND BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO BE LEAVING THE NEXT DAY AND REALIZED THAT THIS COULD BE THE VERY LAST TIME THAT HE WOULD BE SEEING THEM, HE CONTINUED PREACHING UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

A. We are told that there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were meeting.

1. These were lights from burning candles, which means that there must have been a good deal of smoke in the room.

2. The room was probably pretty crowded which meant it was warm.

3. A young man by the name of Eutychus was sitting next to an open window there on the third floor. Long sermon, warm, smoky room makes for good sleeping conditions and he fell into a deep sleep and he also fell out of the window onto the courtyard below.

4. And they took him up dead.

B. Paul went down and fell on him, and embraced him.

1. There is no reason to not believe that he was killed in the fall.

2. It would appear that a miracle took place here, for Paul said to the astonished crowd, "Don't trouble yourselves, his life is in him."

C. The Bible speaks of others who were raised from the dead.

1. Elijah:

1KI 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, [that] the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

1KI 17:18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

1KI 17:19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

1KI 17:20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

1KI 17:21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

1KI 17:22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

1KI 17:23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

2. Elisha:

2KI 4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, [and] laid upon his bed.

2KI 4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them and prayed unto the LORD.

2KI 4:34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

2KI 4:35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

2KI 4:36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.

2KI 4:37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

3. On another occasion we read that:

2KI 13:20 Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the beginning of the year.

2KI 13:21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, they spied a band [of men]; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

4. Jesus and the daughter of Jarius:

MAR 5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

MAR 5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: [I pray thee], come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

MAR 5:24 And [Jesus] went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged Him.

MAR 5:35 Then there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house those who said, Thy daughter is dead: no need to trouble the Master any further?

MAR 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

MAR 5:37 And he allowed no man to follow him, except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

MAR 5:38 And he came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeing the tumult, and those that were weeping and wailing.

MAR 5:39 When he came in, he said unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but is sleeping.

MAR 5:40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he tool the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with Him, and entered in where the damsel was lying.

MAR 5:41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto you, arise.

MAR 5:42 And immediately the damsel arose, and walked; for she was twelve years old. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

JOH 11:1 Now a certain [man] was sick, [named] Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

JOH 11:2 (It was [that] Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

JOH 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto Jesus, saying, Lord, behold, the one You love is sick.

JOH 11:4 When Jesus heard [that], he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

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